Non-Alcoholic Punches With Vintage Flair

Sometimes you need a punch sans booze, whether it's for a kids party, your abstaining or designated driver friends or those who just don't enjoy a drink. These folks often get stuck with juice boxes, soda and other uninspired choices. Well, we're here to change that! Mix Around With Cranberry Juice, a fabulous booklet put out by Ocean Spray circa 1971, has all sorts of recipes ranging from "unusual" to "intriguing." And if you click on the page entitled "Youth Quakes" you'll find options for both fall football games and Halloween! 

Football and Halloween cocktails - it's that time of year!

Perfect for guests who like to act like jerks. Soda jerks, that is!

They didn't neglect the cocktails in this booklet. I'll share those later this week. They are, of course, cranberry juice-centric! 

Who's Up For 44 Drinks?!

I've been organizing our cocktail guides and I'm rediscovering some real gems, including "How to make 44 drinks that put life in your party" ("advertised in LIFE" magazine), brought to us by the incredibly prolific Southern Comfort. Southern Comfort put out the best cocktail guides back in the day. True every drink featured SoCo, even when it shouldn't have, but, hey, what do you want from Southern Comfort?! The photos were fabulous and the themes, which ranged from disco to the Bicentennial, were inspired. The holiday party season is fast approaching, so let's explore this little booklet!

Any party with 44 drinks will have lots of life. Until it doesn't.

Bonus appetizer recipe, perfect for brunch or the morning after!

More easy appetizers, perfect for folks who may be, ahem, imbibing heavily.

Punch bowls perfect for the holiday season or when you're just looking to get loaded!

More holiday party suggestions coming soon! The mid-century era wasn't much for adult Halloween parties, but everyone knows a kids punch is fabulous with a little liquor added! 

Make Sure Your Next Party Has Punch!

There are things in this world I enjoy more than a mid-century cookbook or bar guide, in particular the pamphlets put out by companies to offer even more ways to use their products, but not many.  They're so shameless. If you believe their prose, your recipe will, at best, fall flat and, at worst, turn out horribly and embarrass you in front of everyone you know if you don't use their vodka or flour or powdered milk. Sunday was a good day for scoring such pamphlets, found in a little used bookstore we stumbled across in Montgomery, NY. They weren't even really for sale - the owner was using them for decoration - but fortunately he sold them to me! Here's one that's very timely with the summer party season upon us. A bowl of punch means that you can shirk bartending duty and enjoy yourself! That Sparkling Red Punch is perfect for a Memorial Day cookout - substitute a dry sparkling wine to make it even lovelier (and if the kids aren't present)!

That hair!

It's not just a punch bowl - it's an investment in elegance!